A Valentines Weekend like No Other

We spent Valentines Weekend serving others this year and it was a great boost for us all Everyone had the chance to do something for others over the weekend and the gratitude and love around us was so strong it lifted our hearts a lot. Especially with what has happened over the last few months to us all. 

 Here we got all of the flooring laid at my cousin Ben's house. This was one of the last major projects needed so they could move in. It was a lot of fun to work with my dad, uncle and cousin. While our dad's would cut the two of us girls would lay and snap in the boards.

(Above) )Mean while in the Bathroom my mom was teaching Kat and Seriah (another cousin) the lay tile. It was funny to see the two teenage girls sitting in the bath tub as they cleaned up grout. (Below) Brendon and I helped to measure, cut and sort planking for a Ship-lack style ceiling in the living room/ kitchen/ dinning room. While daddy helped to hang it with Grandpa and Ben. Everett played near by in the walker or play pen or slept in the car seat

 

 Baby Andy (Ben and Desi's newborn)  Stopped by for a bit and photo bombed Everett sleeping. These two are almost 9 months apart in age. 

Our final big project for Valentines Weekend was to help out with the water distribution our stake did for those in the flint ward and their Neighbors. We were takes with a neighborhood of inactive members and then told to distribute water to the houses nearby and the spirit prompted us. 

 Mom watched the boys for Nathan and I to go and we took my sister with us. My dad and Youngest brother met us there. It was a lot of fun seeing old friends and some of the youth in the stake up so early to serve others, even if they wanted to be in bed still. Kat and Matthew were not happy they had to be up early but by the end of the morning they had smiles on their faces and were laughing with Nathan, my dad and I. 

Oh one last exciting part was Everett decided to start standing up all on his own with NO help or climbing on things! All this while holding big brothers shoe as you can see below! 

Sock Monster

Every family has one but we never expected ours till now. Normally we loose our socks at my parents to the puppies but lately they have been going missing  from our laundry basket at home and turning up in someones toy bin... 

 He followed daddy around with his slipper in his mouth for a good 10 minutes till he was distracted by a toy.  

Note: we watch him grab them out and play it's just funny where the sock monster leaves the socks.

Happy B-day Aunt Kat

 Kat turned 15! Brendon and Everett helped pick out a dress and some twisty color pencils for her. The pencils are to go with he coloring book they bought her for Christmas with lots of complicated designs for teens and adults to color. 

"Aunt Kat can color like me now, but my colors are crayons."

 

After opening her gifts she may or may not have had icing on her face from her cake. I may have helped in that considering she was watching for everyone else and not the mommy holding a baby. :) It's nice being able to be a part of her Birthday again, after missing it in person for 5 years. I just can't fathom that she gets to start driving this year! Oh boy better stay off the roads. 

 Everett loves playing with the pink pig grandma got for the toy box. It shakes when you hit it's nose and it makes him laugh when hes holding it. Everett also loved challenging the dogs now that he is bigger and can get away from their licking attacks. He will go up to them and tackle them or start petting (and soft hitting motion) Snowball is his favorite one to go after and she does so well with him. 

 

Visit to the Shop

This week we had the chance to visit Great Grand Pa Rivers at the shop. Brendon loved being able to explore and watch all the machines from the office windows. He also loved to help around the office.

 Brendon helped to update the work boards and drew a few "orders" of his own in my Uncle Enoch's office

 Everett enjoyed the walker kept at the shop for visiting littles! He was cruising all over the room and talking up a storm. Brendon loved being able to sit at the meeting table in Great Grandpa's office. He said he was in charge and had to work then gathered up several tools.

New Year New Fun

The last few months have been so crazy and it is only that start of what is too come! I love being able to have down days when I can just sit a watch the boys play. With packing up the apartment (and most of the toys) We have stacks of boxes all over it is fun to see what they come up with. Here are just a few photos of what they have done

 

 Brendon loves the duplo legos and being able to build he recently has build car, airplane, house and a farm. the above picture is his farm. He has also taken up to sitting in the windows sunlight because it is warm "like being outside in the summer". I guess being locked up in the house for a week now is taking its toll thank goodness he is finally over his cold.

 Everett has taken to sitting, crawling, and climbing on everything. Moments like this are few and far between lately. It was like a switch got turned on as soon as he hit 6 months and started cruising.

 Brendon loves to take things apart and put them back together. Recently we have had to explain how some things just don't come apart or they break.

Kids Days

Building his spinning box at Home Depot's kids workshop

2015

 Everett 
This past year we had a sweet baby boy. He was born on May 28^th at 1:56 in the afternoon.

He weighed a whopping 9 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. Since then Everett has

grown 5 inches and weighs closer to 18 pounds. He is 6 ½ months old and loves to babble with his big brother. He started crawling around 6 months old and loves to get into everything he can. Everett loves playing with puppies (live and stuffed) as well as balls. He loves to eat apple, banana and sweet potato and has occasionally been known to go after Cheetos and rolls. Everett also loves to jump in his jumper and the exersaucer and has begun to attempt to climb on stairs. He has also started to say Mama.   

Brendon

Brendon turned 3 this year and can be too smart for his own good at times. He loves to do schooling with mommy and daddy and hates to sit still. Brendon got skates this year for his birthday and loves to go out on them whenever he can. He loves to hold conversations with anyone who will talk to him and he loves to play pretend. Brendon loves hotdogs and PB&J and some days that is all we can get him to eat. This past summer he learned to swim with only a little help from his swim vest. Brendon loves to paint and draw and create with mommy and loves it when we have craft days. He was also able to see 3 new temples this year and loves to tell people about the angle Maroni at the top. His funniest phrase of the year would be “I have to save my sister” we have no idea what sister he is talking about because he only has a baby brother. He has told so many people this and has started a funny rumor so we’ll set it straight here MAGANN IS NOT EXPECTING!

Magann

Magann loves being able to be at home with the boys all day and has taken the opportunity to complete several projects over the year. She has continued to work on photography and loves to update our family blog whenever possible. Magann has also been able to spend the last few months helping to plan one of her sister’s weddings and helping her parents with their work when they need. Magann is hoping to start a large project that should take all of next year so watch the blog for more info. J

Nathan

Nathan is back in school again and working to finish his associates degree. He has also been working with Magann’s parents during their busy season to help them keep up with work. All of this while working his normal job at Kroger. Recently Nate has been trying to help her cousin work on his house so his family can move in over the holidays.

Love,

Nathan, Magann,

Brendon and Everett